


Sunshine and Snowclouds

by orphan_account



Series: Stucky AUs [9]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bucky has a dog, M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Sharing a Bed, Snowed In, They're both assholes and Steve's a stubborn dick, What's new
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 09:29:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6418087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's plans for the weekend include going for a hike and getting snowed in. They don't include being stuck with an asshole and a wolf. Life's just full of surprises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunshine and Snowclouds

Steve arrives at the American Conservation Experience cabin just before noon, a bite in the air and thick purple clouds in the sky. The forecast said the snow’s not due until after dark, but Steve wants to be on the safe side so he decides he’ll collect firewood for as long as he can before turning in.

 

He lets himself into the cabin, grimacing at the icy air he’s met with. There’s a bucket of coal next to the fireplace, and firewood stacked in a neat pile tucked behind the bucket, but that’s not going to last four days.

 

Steve leaves his pack in the corner of the bed, tucked under the beams of the ceiling. He loves this cabin, despite its size. It barely fits two people, but not many people know about it. It’s not part of the common hiking tracks and only ACE staff know about it. He knows Sam comes here with a friend on their birdwatching weekends, and Bruce comes up when he needs a break from everything, and Natasha helps Steve with the maintenance, but apart from that, Steve doesn’t know if anyone really uses it. That’s definitely fine by him.

 

Steve checks the taps, makes sure they’re not filled with crap. The water runs a muddy yellow for a moment, but clears out soon enough for Steve not to worry.  He heads back outside to the pile of wood stacked in the shed. They’re in big chunks, kept dry in the shelter, but they’re not quite small enough to fit in the little log burner in the cabin. Steve gets out the axe and loses himself in the process of cutting enough wood to last a few days. .

 

He’s surrounded by trees, the fresh crisp air, and birdsong. It’s definitely his favourite place to be, no doubts about it.

 

* * *

 

Steve’s fingers are numb and his nose stings but he’s absolutely grinning when he’s cut enough wood to last a small village through winter. He’s going to have to make a couple of trips to carter all of it back to the cabin, but it’s not far and it’s nothing he hasn’t done before. There’s a basket in the shed and he loads it up.

 

The clouds haven’t lightened in the hours Steve spent cutting wood, but they haven’t darkened either so he decides he’ll make himself a cup of tea before bringing the rest of the wood in. He emerges from the trees and almost drops his basket because right over there, sniffing around the cabin, is a wolf.

 

It’s young, Steve thinks, because it’s quite small. But it’s still huge. It hasn’t noticed him yet but that barely helps calm him because wolves live in packs and wolves can _kill_ people and it’s a three hour hike back down to the car park when Steve’s not half dead and bleeding out.

 

A strong gust of wind blows directly in Steve’s face and he screws his eyes tight shut- half for protection, half in relief. Because if he’s downwind from the wolf, maybe it will leave before it sees him.

 

Of course, though, that doesn’t happen. Steve’s not sure what alerted it- did his breathing rise? Did the wind change? Does the wolf have some freaky sixth sense?- but suddenly its head snaps up and it fixes its gaze on Steve. There’s about 30 metres between them, but Steve can still see the icy blue in its eyes as it assesses him. After what feels like hours, it tilts its head back and lets out three short barks. Alerting its pack, probably.

 

It’s not a bad way to go. He’s at the cabin, he’ll be feeding a pack of wolves. It could be worse.

 

The wolf doesn’t advance on him, and no other wolves appear. Instead, the door to the cabin bangs open and someone calls out.

 

“Иди сюда, Cолнышко!”

 

The wolf barks once more before turning away from Steve and bounding inside. The man stays where he is, half hidden by the door, staring at Steve. Realising what just went down, Steve makes his way back to the cabin. It’s not a wolf, it’s a damn dog, and Steve needs to calm himself.

 

“That your dog?” He asks when he’s close enough to the cabin for the man to hear him. The man meets his eyes and something at the back of Steve’s mind thinks of owners looking like their pets. The man doesn’t say anything, just nods and holds the door open for Steve.

 

“Thanks.” Steve says with a warm smile, because unlike some people, he has manners.

 

The small room is a lot warmer than it was when Steve arrived around midday and he’s drawn to the warmth of the orange glow in the corner. The wolf-dog is splayed out on a thin mat next to the fire, grinning up at Steve with its long tongue lolling out the corner of its mouth.

 

“I’m Steve, I don’t think we’ve met?” Steve says, setting the basket of wood down and turning to face the man. He doesn’t say anything for a long time, just staying in the doorway and looking between Steve and the wolf-dog.

 

Steve suddenly remembers what he said to the wolf-dog to get it to come inside. He’s not too sure what it was, but it wasn’t English.

 

“Do you speak English?” He asks. The wood basket is empty now and Steve doesn’t really want a tea anymore. He just wants to get the rest of the wood and relax.

 

“Yes. Sorry. I’m James.” The man- James answers. His voice is hoarse, like he’s either used it too much or hasn’t used it enough. Steve’s willing to bet it’s the latter.

 

“Nice to meet you, James. I’m going to get some more wood before it gets too cold and dark. Want to join me?” Steve stands up, tucking the basket under his arm. Wolf-dog’s ears perk up. James shakes his head and opens the door for Steve, tucking himself behind it as Steve passes.

 

“Okay. See you soon.”

 

One of the things Steve likes least about himself is how quick he is to anger. It’s not a violent anger, it sits bitterly in his gut and he wants to do something petty to get James to feel the same.

 

Steve’s out in the cold after slaving away for hours to get enough wood for the weekend, and James won’t even help him bring it inside. He’s rude and he lets his pet wolf scare people in the woods.

 

It takes four trips in total to bring all the wood in, and by the time he’s done, the snow has started. At least James has stacked the wood neatly and kept the fire going. But still. Steve’s still bitter about it all.

 

James is currently using wolf-dog as a pillow, curled in on himself and staring at the fire. He looks lost in his head and Steve won’t disturb him, no matter how much he wants petty revenge. He’s seen that look before, on the wounded vets down at the VA Sam works at.

 

Steve busies himself with boiling water. Some sort of tuna pasta for dinner, he decides. He’s just putting the pasta in when James speaks up.

 

“How long are you here for?” He asks. Steve glances over at him to find him still in the same position.

 

“Three nights. Got in today. You?” Steve adds a pinch of salt to the water.

 

“I- uh. Not long. I packed for three nights but I-” James hesitates, sounding panicked. “I think I might go now.”

 

Steve looks out the window to the flurry of grey and white. It would take James at least three hours, maybe four to get back to the closest carpark, and it’s already started getting dark.

 

“James, you can’t go now, it’s way too dangerous. You have to stay at least tonight.”

 

“No, I-” James cuts off, running his right hand through his hair. That’s when Steve notices his empty left sleeve. At least that explains why he wouldn’t help with the wood before.

 

“I can’t stay.” James says, not meeting Steve’s eyes.

 

“Well you can’t go, that’s for sure. You’d die out there.” Steve scowls, stirring the canned tomatoes and tuna on the stove with a bit more aggression than warranted.

 

“Where would I sleep?” James asks. Steve almost wants to laugh.

 

“On the bed, maybe?” He suggests.

 

“Are you sleeping on the floor?” James asks. This time, Steve does laugh.

 

“Hell no. I’m sleeping on the bed. But we can share it, can’t we?”

 

James narrows his eyes.

 

“Oh, is that too _gay_ for you?” Steve hisses, turning off his gas stoves. He came here for the weekend for a break, to get away from the stress. But if he has to spend it with this James guy, he’s not too sure it’s going to be a very good break at all.

 

“Fuck you.” James growls, pushing himself to his feet. Wolf-dog rises with him, its ears pushed back and eyes narrowed.

 

“If you want to sleep on the floor, I’m not going to stop you.” Steve huffs, but between the firewood, the table and two chairs, and the massive wolf-dog, Steve knows James wouldn’t have any room. James seems to realise this, too and he meets Steve’s eyes.

 

“No. I’m not sleeping on the floor. We’ll share.”

 

“Fine.” Steve spits, and that settles it. James goes back to his wolf-dog and strokes its fur, whispering in his other language to it. He sets out a little bowl next to one with water on the ground and fills it with kibble. The wolf-dog eats its dinner and Steve eats his. James climbs up the ladder and rolls out his sleeping bag. Steve doesn’t know how long it takes for him to fall asleep, but neither of them speak for the rest of the night.

 

* * *

 

Steve wakes up to the smell of coffee and the soft drone of a radio. He sits up slowly, careful not to hit his head on the rafters as he does so. There’s a mug of coffee on the small table and James is crouched at the fireplace, poking at the small flames. The air in the hut is cold so Steve guesses James only just got up.

 

“Morning.” Steve yawns, his voice thick from sleep. James startles, almost putting his hand in the fire and Steve winces.

 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” He says, climbing down from the bed. James just glares at him. Wolf-dog, however, bounds over to Steve and sticks its nose between his legs. He smiles fondly at it and scratches between its ears.

 

“Hey there, baby.” Steve coos. Wolf-dog wags its tail even harder, its whole body shaking with it.

 

“Солнышко,” James says. His voice is only slightly clearer than the day before but he’s actually smiling now. “Her name is Cолнышко.”

 

“Solnyshko.” Steve repeats, smiling. He’s not too sure if he’s smiling at the dog or at the fact James smiled. Either way, he doesn’t care.

 

James takes a seat at the table and wraps his hand around his mug. Steve moves to the taps, almost certain they’re frozen. He’s right.

 

“I’m going to get some water.” Steve says, pulling a jacket over his thermals. It’s too cold to sleep in anything other than clothes but he doesn’t mind. He likes it, the reminder he’s got no routine or habits to stick to. “Will you be here when I get back?”

 

“Of course.” James frowns, looking up from his coffee. “Where else would I be? Sitting out in the snow?”

 

Steve snorts. “You seemed pretty keen to get out of here last night. I’m kind of surprised you’re still here, actually.”

 

“Oh.” James says, his voice quiet again. Steve inwardly curses himself and his big mouth. Maybe he could’ve saved them from uncomfortable silences. Too late now. “The radio says the roads are closed. I can’t leave.”

 

“Oh.” Steve says awkwardly, not too sure where to go from there. “Well. I’m going to the river. Do you want me to take your bottle too?”

 

“There’s three inches of snow and it’s still falling.” James says, his shy smile back. Steve immediately feels more at ease.

 

“I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself.” He says, lacing up his boots. James rolls his eyes and Steve’s taken completely by surprise.

 

“Okay, punk. You can go to the river by yourself in the freezing cold and lug back litres of water. Or you could bring in some snow and boil it. Up to you.”

 

Steve’s face flushes. James is right and Steve feels like an idiot. Actually, Steve is an idiot. A stubborn idiot.

 

“The river water tastes better.” He says, grabbing two bottles from his pack. He has his hand on the door handle and James has his eyes on Steve and Steve is not backing down.

 

“Okay.” James says, and he’s actually grinning. “Could you take Cолнышко? She’ll love the excuse to roll around in the snow.”

 

“And she can scare off wolves.” Steve adds to himself. Unfortunately, James hears him and snorts.

 

“Good luck with that. She’s a scaredy-cat. You’ll have to fight the wolves off yourself.” He says, draining the last of his coffee.

 

“Solnyshko, let’s go.” Steve says, ignoring James and heading out into the cold. Solnyshko follows him excitedly and throws herself into the snow with glee. Steve watches her for a couple of minutes, letting her enjoy the fresh air. He could wait out here, he realises, and just tell James he went to the river. Melt snow instead.

 

Except James would see he’s only got snow and that would just be more embarrassing than taking the ten minute walk to the river.

 

“Solnyshko!” He calls, and the dog bounds to his side instantly. “We’re going to the river.” He tells the dog. She says nothing.

 

By the time they get to the river, Steve’s regretting ever turning down the snow option. There’s ice covering the rocks and the edge of the river where the water’s not moving too fast.

 

“I’m an idiot.” He tells the dog. She just watches him, keeping a safe distance from the water. _Even the wolf doesn’t want to go down there,_ a small voice in Steve’s head says. _Don’t be such an idiot._

 

 _What, you’re going to prove to James you’re too thick to think of melting snow? You’ve already come this far, just do it,_ a louder, more insistent voice says. That’s the voice Steve listens to, and he hates himself for it.

 

The rocks are even more slippery than they looked from the trees but Steve pretends they aren’t as he clambers ungracefully down them. He doesn’t fall completely over, though, and he counts himself lucky for that.

 

Normally, Steve would fill his water bottles up from a shallow area. Unfortunately, the shallowest areas have thin layers of ice over them. There’s a small stream of water that doesn’t have ice covering it not too far away, so Steve focuses on it and makes his way over. It feels like forever, but eventually both his bottles are full and he can head back.

 

He’s feeling proud of himself and he waves at Solnyshko. She barks at him, her tail wagging, but doesn’t move from her spot. Smart dog.

 

Steve makes his way back over to her, retracing his steps. Except, on the way over he had two empty bottles. Now they’re both full and heavy and throwing his balance. As if it wasn't bad enough already, Steve’s now having a very difficult time getting back to James’s dog.

 

There’s a mound of ice, but it’s fairly flat and Steve knows he can step on it without slipping. He places his right foot on it, but as soon as his left foot leaves its rock he realises that while it’s flat enough, it isn’t strong enough. There’s no rock under it, just water, and Steve’s solid weight breaks right through it and he falls.

 

It could be worse. It would be a lot worse. He could’ve been in the river, or further from the hut, or he could’ve landed wrong and hit his head.

 

He knows all this, he knows it’s a lucky fall, but he’s still wet and his butt hurts and he’s so cold. He can hear Solnyshko whining and he pulls himself into a sitting position.

 

“It’s okay, girl. I’m okay.” He calls out. She barks at him, pacing between the trees but still not coming down to the riverbank. With his numb fingers, Steve picks up his bottles and heaves himself to his feet. He miraculously manages to get himself to the dog without falling over again and he buries his face in her warm fur.

 

“Let’s get home, Solnyshko.” He sighs after a moment. She sticks faithfully at his side all the way back to the cabin, her warmth spreading through Steve’s damp trousers.

 

It isn’t until he’s opening the door to the hut that he realises James is going to see him soaking wet and know he fell in. He groans as he shoves the door open.

 

“You cold enough?” James asks, his voice still playful. Until he sees Steve, anyway.

 

“Jesus,” He hisses, grabbing Steve’s arm when he’s close enough. “What the hell happened to you? Decide to take a bath?”

 

“Nah, thought I’d practice my backstroke.” Steve growls, pulling his arm free from James’s grip. James sighs, exasperated.

 

“Come on, get out of those damn clothes.” James mutters, rubbing his temples. Solnyshko sits at his side, nosing his thigh until James drops his hand and pats her. Steve just glares at them both.

 

“Oh, what? Is that too _gay_ for you?” James spits, repeating Steve’s words back at him. Steve won’t stand for that, so without breaking eye contact he strips down to his boxers. Thankfully, the fire’s been going for long enough to heat the small room up and he’s warmer than he’s been since he got out of his sleeping bag.

 

“Nothing’s too gay for me.” He says, his eyes still fixed on James’s.

 

“Okay, pal.” James replies, a smile breaking through his cold exterior. “Put on something dry, I’ll boil some water. What do you want? Tea, coffee, cocoa?”

 

“Coffee, please.” Steve says, finally turning away and sifting through his bag. He brought it down before he went to sleep and he easily finds some dry clothes.

 

“This is going to be the best instant coffee you’ve ever had.” James promises, grabbing Steve’s cup while he waits for the water to boil. “Made from the best tasting water in the world. Right?”

 

“Right.” Steve confirms, taking a seat on Solnyshko’s mat by the fire. James doesn’t say anything until the coffee’s ready, silently handing it over to Steve and sitting down beside him. Solnyshko squeezes between them, resting her head on James’s lap.

 

“Thanks, James.” Steve says, swallowing  his pride down with his coffee. It burns his throat.

 

“Bucky.” James says, and Steve frowns.

 

“What?”

 

“Call me Bucky.” James- Bucky- repeats.

 

“Okay, Bucky.” Steve nods, eyes fixed on the flames. They dance around each other, spreading a warmth to seep into Steve’s skin. “I don’t have a super secret nickname, so still call me Steve.”

 

He’s watching the flames, so he can’t actually see him, but Steve’s still sure Bucky rolls his eyes.

 

* * *

 

“So, Bucky. Do you come here often?” Steve asks. It’s been a quiet afternoon. He’s sitting at the table with his sketchpad, drawing Solnyshko from where she lays out in front of the fire. He’s drawn the cabin a million times, but for once he’s got something new to draw and he’s making the most of it.

 

“Is that a pick-up line? Come on, Steve. You can do better.” Bucky grunts from the bed. He’s reading, the occasional rustle of pages as he turns them oddly soothing.

 

“What’s a pretty guy like you doing in a dump like this?” Steve teases, turning around in his chair to bat his eyelashes at Bucky.

 

“First time.” Bucky says, looking back down at his book. Steve grins.

 

“Ooh, so I’m your first?” Steve all but purrs at him. “I can make it real good.”

 

“What’s your last name?” Bucky asks suddenly, and Steve’s thrown by the unexpected change in topic.

 

“Rogers?” He replies tentatively.

 

“Goddamn it, Rogers, you’re an ass.” Bucky growls. But he’s kind of smiling, and his eyes aren’t as murderous as they were yesterday so Steve just beams back at him.

 

“So you’re new to ACE?” Steve asks, because when Bucky’s not in a bad mood he’s not actually terrible company.

 

“Nope.” Bucky says.

 

“Oh. How long have you been part of the team?” Getting answers out of Bucky is like prying a spoon from a magpie’s beak, but it’s sort of fun and it’s not like Steve hasn’t got the time.

 

“I’m not.” Bucky says. He’s focused on his book, eyes flitting over the words. Steve turns back to Solnyshko. Her legs are twitching and he wonders what she’s dreaming about.

 

“Then how did you know about this hut?” Steve asks. It’s not a public hut, if Bucky’s not part of ACE then he shouldn’t be here at all.

 

“Wilson mentioned it. Thought it’d be empty on a weekend like this so decided to check it out.”

 

“Sam Wilson? Oh man, I love that guy.” Steve says, smiling to himself. Knowing Sam, he probably mentioned it offhandedly to Bucky and didn’t realise Bucky would actually check it out.

 

“Gay.” Bucky mutters, barely loud enough for Steve to hear. Steve frowns.

 

“Not anymore. Purely platonic love now.” He growls. Just when he thought he could like Bucky…

 

“Wait, for real?” Bucky asks, sounding vaguely amused. Steve refuses to look at him, focusing all his attention on the shading of Solnyshko’s fur.

 

“Yes, for real. But we’re better as friends.” Steve spits out through gritted teeth.

 

“Huh.” Is all Bucky says. They fall back into a silence that lacks the relaxed tone from before.

 

* * *

 

Steve’s still mad when Bucky breaks the silence about an hour later.

 

“I’m not homophobic.” He says, as if it only just occurred to him that’s how he came off. Steve’s grip on his pencil tightens and he ignores him.

 

“Steve. Did you hear me?” Bucky asks, sounding slightly desperate.

 

“Yeah, James, I heard you.” Steve says, still not looking up.

 

“Oh jeez.” Bucky mutters. Steve can hear some rustling, and then a heavy thump. He still doesn’t turn around but Bucky walks over and sits in the seat opposite him.

 

“I swear I’m not, Steve.” He says. Steve looks up and meets his eyes.

 

“Sure.” Steve says. He makes jokes about it, Sam makes jokes about it, but Steve can’t stand it when straight people joke about it because they just don’t get it. He looks back down at his paper.

 

“I mean, it would be a bit hypocritical for me to hold it against you. I really don’t care that you’re gay.” And that’s another thing Steve can’t stand.

 

“I’m not gay. I’m bi.” He mutters.

 

“Yeah, well. Me too.” Bucky gets up and moves to sit next to Solnyshko.

 

“I overreacted.” Steve admits after a moment of silence.

 

“It’s okay.” Bucky says in a toneless voice, hard eyes fixed straight ahead of him. Steve drops it.

 

* * *

 

“Do you like cheesy pasta?” Bucky asks as it grows dark outside. Steve’s doing a sudoku from his book and doesn’t bother looking up to answer.

 

“Course. Who doesn’t.” He says, jotting down a 4. Bucky hums in agreement.

 

It’s perfect timing, really. As soon as Steve fits in the last numbers Bucky calls out.

 

“Dinner’s ready!” He says, and Steve looks up.

 

“What?” He asks, closing his sudoku book and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Bucky places two bowls of cheesy pasta on the table and looks up at him.

 

“I made dinner. For both of us.” Bucky takes a seat, picking a fork up in his hand but waiting for Steve before he starts.

 

“Thanks, Bucky. You didn’t have to.” Steve says with a smile, sitting down opposite him.

 

“So it’s back to Bucky now?” Bucky asks with a grin.

 

“Yes.” Steve says, because he doesn’t know how else to respond.

 

“Glad to hear it.” Bucky replies, smiling slightly. They eat dinner in relative silence, with Bucky occasionally sneaking bits of pasta to Solnyshko. It's kind of cute, Steve thinks, the way Bucky pretends he's not doing it when Steve's the only other person there.

 

“I think I'm going to turn in. Thanks for dinner.” Steve says once they've boiled water and cleaned their bowls. Bucky nods.

 

“You mind if I read for a bit?” He asks, gesturing to the lantern. Steve waves an arm at him and climbs up the ladder.  

 

“Take as long as you like. I can sleep in anything.” It's not quite the truth- Steve definitely prefers to sleep in total darkness- but Bucky doesn't know that and for once, Steve doesn't want to disturb the peace.

 

“Thanks,” Bucky says, and Steve crawls into his sleeping bag.

 

If Steve's body clock is anything to go by, Bucky comes to bed about an hour later. Steve adamantly pretends to be asleep as Bucky tosses and turns, trying to get comfortable in the limited space. Eventually he settles, curled in on himself, facing Steve. He's on his right, his arm tucked between their two bodies. His hand is close enough for Steve to hold, if he wanted to.

 

Steve doesn't move until Bucky's breathing evens out, slow and deep with sleep. Steve drifts off eventually,  far too aware of the warm body next to him.

 

* * *

 

Steve wakes up first, disorientated. There's hair in his face and something hot against his chest. He sits up fast, spitting the hair out of his mouth and banging his head on the rafters. He swears loudly, grabbing his head. Bucky wakes up more gracefully,  slowly blinking into consciousness and brushing his hair back with his hand.

 

“You good there, Rogers?” He asks, voice thick and sleepy. Steve just groans in response.

 

“Wanna put on the coffee?” Bucky asks, rolling back over. “Or will you need to go to the river first?”

 

“There's nothing wrong with the river.” Steve protests, shimmying down the ladder. Solnyshko greets him eagerly, probably hoping for food.

 

“You are not going to the river again. Just get some snow before I throw something at you.” Bucky says, his voice muffled through the bag of clothes he's using as a makeshift pillow.

 

“Fine.” Steve huffs, grabbing his boots and a pot. “But I'm only doing this because you threatened me.”

 

“Whatever, punk.” Bucky snorts. “Can you feed Солнышко? Just give her a scoop. Her food's in the sink.”

 

Steve feeds the dog and relights the fire before heading outside. It's stopped snowing and the sun's actually come out. Steve squints in the glare of it, sneezing a couple of times as his eyes adjust. Now that he's up he realises he really needs to pee, and heads over to the outhouse.

 

“You didn't go to the river, did you?” Bucky asks when Steve comes back inside , his pot half filled with snow.

 

“No? There's just snow in here.” Steve lifts up the pot to prove it but Bucky's still face-down in his pillow.

 

“You took ages.” Bucky mumbles.

 

“Needed to pee.” Steve laughs, setting the snow to boil before tending to the fire again. It's small, but going and Steve gets out his bread and toasting poles. He used to burn every piece of bread, but over the years he's become an expert at cooking toast over an open flame.

 

“Coffee is ready. And toast. “ Steve calls once everything's done. Bucky grunts.

 

“Bring it up.” He says. Steve snorts.

 

“No. A, I'm not your maid, and B, you'll spill it and get crumbs through the bed. Come down, you lazy jerk.”

 

Bucky whines, but a minute later he's at the table with Steve.

 

“This toast isn't awful.” He says after a moment.

 

“This toast is the best toast in the world.” Steve mutters defensively, examining his piece.

 

“Whatever you say, pal.”

 

* * *

 

“Is Solnyshko Russian?” Steve asks later.  He's sketching again, this time Bucky's in the picture. It's the way the fire flickers across his face, Steve tells himself. 100% to do with the interesting lighting, 0% to do with the subject.

 

“No.” Bucky says, looking up from his book. “I got her in New York.”

 

“Asshole. I mean is Solnyshko a Russian name.” Steve sighs. Judging by Bucky’s grin, he knew exactly what Steve meant.

 

“Yes. Солнышко is a Russian word.” Bucky says, his eyes back on his book.

 

“What does it mean?” Steve asks.  Bucky shrugs.

 

“Dunno.” Bucky says, flipping the page.

 

“Bullshit. What does it mean?” Steve presses.

 

“It means you're a stubborn asshole. It means you should mind your own businesses.” Bucky says. There's something in his voice Steve doesn't like, so he drops it. (For now.)

 

* * *

 

The snow seems to have stopped for good so Steve decides to clear the roof. He is in charge of the hut’s maintenance, after all. He scales the cabin easily, climbing onto the water tank first, before making it onto the roof.

 

He’s half finished when he spots Bucky and Solnyshko watching him from the ground.

 

“Enjoying the view?” He calls down, scooping up a ball of snow and throwing it at Bucky.

 

“Nah, just didn’t want to be inside when you fall through the roof.” Bucky replies, easily dodging Steve’s snowball.

 

“I’ve been up here a million times, it’s not going to break.” Steve says, shovelling more snow off.

 

“Yeah? Well if it’s so strong then why do you bother clearing it?” Bucky asks, his arm hanging over his face to shield his eyes from the harsh sunlight.

 

“Better safe than sorry.” Steve shrugs. Bucky nods.

 

By the time Steve’s finished, Bucky’s gone inside. He’s left the cabin door open to let fresh air in and Solnyshko’s sitting in the snow chewing on a stick.

 

“Enjoying the sunshine, Sunshine?” Steve asks her, squatting down to run his hand through her fur.

 

“How did you know?” Bucky frowns, suddenly appearing in the doorway. Steve squints at him.

 

“Know what?” He asks.

 

“That her name means sunshine.” Bucky says.

 

“Sunshine? You named your big scary wolf-dog _Sunshine?_ ” Steve laughs. Bucky scowls at him.

 

“Shut your face. And she’s a husky, not a wolfdog.” Bucky comes over to them, rubbing Solnyshko’s belly when she rolls over.

 

“I know she’s a husky. But she looks like a wolf.”

 

“Not really. Wolves and wolfdogs are slimmer.” Bucky explains, standing back up. Steve stands up with him.

 

“Wait, wolf-dogs are a thing? I thought huskies were the closest dogs to wolves?” Steve says, following Bucky back inside.

 

“Wolfdogs are a thing.” Bucky confirms passing Steve a cup of coffee. Steve accepts it gratefully, taking a large sip before making a face.

 

“Not as good as yesterday’s.” He says, scrunching his nose. “Must be the water.”

 

Bucky rolls his eyes and hits Steve on the shoulder.

 

“You’re a dick, Rogers.”

 

* * *

 

“Thoughts on potato curry?” Steve asks as the sun starts to set. They’re sitting out on a log in the snow, watching the sky fade from blue to pink. The weather may have cleared up but it’s still too cold for the snow to melt.

 

“Positive thoughts.” Bucky answers, his hand buried in Solnyshko’s fur and a relaxed smile on his face. Steve can’t help but smile back before heading inside and starting on their dinner.

 

Bucky’s still outside when the dinner’s ready, despite the drop in temperature and darkness.

 

“Buck?” Steve calls, walking around behind the hut to where he left Bucky before he came inside. Bucky’s in the same spot, hand still buried in Solnyshko’s fur. He doesn’t seem to have heard Steve.

 

“Bucky.” Steve tries again, sitting down next to his friend- are they friends now? Solnyshko looks from Bucky to Steve, and back to Bucky again. She tilts her head slightly, licking Bucky’s palm.

 

After a moment, Bucky blinks a few times.

 

“Dinner’s ready.” Steve says, standing up and holding out a hand to help Bucky up. Bucky takes it, his hand icy cold.

 

“Already?” He asks, following Steve back to the hut. Steve nods.

 

“Yeah, just finished it now.” He says, holding the door open for Bucky and closing it behind Solnyshka. The table’s set, Steve’s battery lantern lighting up the room from the middle of it. Bucky looks at it for a moment before turning back to his dog. He threads his hand through her fur and takes a couple of deep breaths.

 

“I’m real tired, Steve.” He says. “I think I just wanna go to sleep.”

 

Steve gets it, they’ve spent a lot of time together over the last couple of days, and they didn’t get along for much of it. But he also knows Bucky hasn’t eaten anything since the toast that morning.

 

“Just have a little bit. Please.” Steve says, sitting in his seat. “Then you can go to sleep. I won’t talk to you.”

 

Bucky hesitates for a moment, and Steve’s ridiculously worried Bucky won’t. But then he nods, very slightly, and sits down.

 

Steve keeps his word, eating in silence, and Bucky gets halfway through his bowl before standing up.

 

“Thanks.” He says quietly. Steve smiles at him, but doesn’t say anything. His eyes unintentionally track Bucky around the room as he feeds Solnyshko, placing a kiss on the top of her head before climbing into his sleeping bag. Steve turns off the lantern, opting for his headtorch so Bucky can get to sleep more easily.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Steve notices when he wakes up is that it’s still dark outside. The second thing he notices is that his bladder is painfully full. The third thing he notices is Bucky’s breathing, except it’s not so much breathing as gasping for air. Solnyshko’s crying at the foot of the ladder and Steve sits up.

 

“Buck?” He says gently, wanting to reach out but knowing it’s a bad idea.

 

“I’m sorry.” Bucky chokes out, sliding down the ladder. He slips into his shoes and coat, grabs Solnyshko and is out the door before Steve can really process it. He can hear the heavy thud of Bucky’s footsteps outside the hut pounding in time with Steve’s anxious heart.

 

Steve stays in the bed, processing for a moment, before he remembers his full bladder. He grabs his head torch and laces up his boots before heading outside.

 

The moon’s bright enough that he doesn’t actually need the torch, so Steve leaves it off and makes his way to the outhouse.

 

Bucky’s back inside by the time Steve returns, sitting in front of the fire with his dog. He must’ve just put another log on because it’s roaring away. He looks up when Steve walks in, surprise written all over his face.

 

“Steve?” He says, his voice weak and raspy. “I thought you’d gone?”

 

“I just went to the bathroom…” Steve says, not sure what Bucky means. He stays just in from the doorway, not sure whether to sit next to Bucky or get back into bed to give Bucky some space. “Why would I leave?”

 

“I hurt you.” Bucky says, with such conviction he has Steve doubting his painless body. But no, Steve’s absolutely fine.

 

“No you didn’t.” Steve frowns. “You didn’t even touch me.”

 

“I- I could’ve killed you, my hands were around your neck. You couldn’t breathe. I could’ve killed you.” Bucky stammers. Steve doesn't miss the way Bucky said hands, as if he had two. Before, he thought Bucky's eyes were just shining in the firelight, but now he’s not so sure.

 

“It must’ve been a dream. Look, my neck is fine.” Steve promises, tilting his head back and exposing his neck to Bucky.

 

Bucky doesn't look convinced,  though, and Steve realises he's too far away to see anything so he slowly comes closer.

 

“You're fine.” Bucky says quietly, carefully reaching out to touch Steve's unmarked throat. His hand is warm against Steve’s skin, a stark contrast from the last time he touched Steve, with ice fingers and detached intention. Steve swallows, Bucky’s fingers bobbing with the motion before he pulls them back.

 

“Sorry for waking you up.” He mumbles, looking back down at Solnyshko.

 

“Pretty sure you didn’t.” Steve says lightly, standing back up. “I really needed to pee.”

 

Bucky smiles weakly but doesn’t say anything. Steve goes back to bed.

 

* * *

 

Steve wakes up to an empty bed, his heart dropping. He'd hoped Bucky would be able to get some more rest after waking up in the middle of the night.

 

Steve lies on the mattress for a bit, listening to the birds outside and the quiet crackle of the fire. It takes him a lot longer than he's proud of to realise he can't hear Bucky, and he sits up.

 

Bucky's curled up around Solnyshko, his arm draped over her middle. To be frank, it's adorable.

As quietly as he can, so not to disturb the pair, Steve climbs down the ladder and grabs his sketchbook from the table. Solnyshko’s ears twitch, and Steve freezes. She doesn't move though, and Bucky sleeps on, so Steve opens his pad and starts to draw.

 

* * *

 

Bucky wakes up half an hour later, forcing Steve to stop sooner than he'd like, but he's done enough for the picture to be completed to an untrained eye.

 

“Morning!” Steve sings, grinning at the rumpled Bucky.

 

“Shut up, it's too early.” Bucky groans, scrubbing his hand over his face. Solnyshko gets up and moves over to the sink where her container of food is, sitting unsubtly close to it.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.” Bucky sighs, getting up to feed her.

 

“That was real cute, Buck.” Steve grins. “The way you two were all snuggled up together.” He's only half teasing, because the sight was one of the cutest things Steve's ever seen. But Bucky doesn't need to know that.

 

“You're just saying that because you're jealous.” Bucky grumbles, and yeah, that's something Steve would rather not think about.

 

“I drew you,” Steve says, for lack of anything better to say. He mentally hits himself for it, hoping Bucky isn't put off.

 

“Let's see it.” Bucky says, reaching for the pad with a grabby hand like the child he is. Steve slides it across the table and waits, unsure what to do with himself. He doesn't usually let people see his art, especially not people he's only known for a couple of days. He doesn't know what makes Bucky so special.

 

(Yes he does,)

 

(It's the gentle curve of his smile as he looks at Steve's art, it's him unafraid to snap at Steve, it's him worried enough about Steve's wellbeing to sleep on floor, but refusing to let Steve take the bed- out of spite. It's how he named his dog Sunshine and shows up at private hiking huts out of curiosity, it's the way his eyes light up when he makes a joke and the way his shaggy hair hangs at his shoulders yet still looks elegant.)

 

“This is incredible, Steve. You're incredible.” Steve blushes at the compliment, but Bucky’s too focused on the sketch to notice.

 

“Heading back today.” Steve says, unsure of he's telling Bucky his plans or asking Bucky about his own. Bucky hums in agreement and hands Steve's sketchbook back.

 

“Yeah, radio said the roads cleared yesterday.” He says absently, picking up a pot and heading to the door. He already has his shoes on, and Steve realises he mustn't have taken them off between going outside at midnight and falling asleep with Solnyshko.

 

“What time yesterday?” Steve asks when Bucky walks back in moment later.

 

“About midday?” He shrugs, placing the pot on the stove.

 

“Midday? Then why didn't you leave?”

 

Bucky glares at Steve, and he realises how he sounds.

 

“I just mean you seemed pretty desperate to leave on Thursday. Thought you would've bolted first chance you got.” He's hardly helping himself, but Bucky seems to catch on and stops trying to burn Steve with his laser eyes.

 

“That was when I didn't know you.” He says easily. “But believe it or not, I've actually enjoyed my weekend.”

 

“Me too.” Steve says, meeting Bucky's eyes with a smile.

 

* * *

 

“Have you got everything?” Bucky asks for the millionth time.

 

“Yes.” Steve sighs, also for the millionth time. “I just don't get why I have to carry the rubbish.”

 

“We've been over this, Steve.” Bucky says with a straight face. “We both know you're a trashcan.”

 

“With all the garbage you talk I think you're more of a trashcan than me.” Steve mutters under his breath, but stuffs the rubbish bag in his pack.

 

“Goodbye, hut. It was nice meeting you!” Bucky grins, closing the door behind Steve as they leave. Steve smiles to himself, thinking of how different Bucky acts around him now that he's comfortable.  It's  a happy thought.

 

* * *

 

“Are we there yet?” Bucky groans a couple of hours later. The snow’s thinning out the lower they get, and despite how much Steve loves it, he doesn't miss trudging through it.

 

“Shut up, Bucky, before I hit you.” Steve grumbles. Bucky's laughter is music to Steve's ears.

 

* * *

 

They reach the carpark and Steve suddenly feels his spirits drop. He hasn't got an excuse to spend time with Bucky anymore, and he finds himself frowning.

 

“I'll miss that hut.” Bucky says, leaning back against his car once they've put their packs away.

 

“You can always come back.” Steve points out, mirroring Bucky on his own car.

 

“I thought it was a special ACE hut?” Bucky says, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Yeah, because that really stopped you coming the first time.” Steve scoffs.

 

“That was just to check it out. I won't come back.” Bucky insists.

 

“You could always come back with me.” Steve offers, blushing as soon as the words leave his mouth. “I mean, if you liked it that much.”

 

“Yeah.” Bucky says with a soft smile. “But we'd have to share a bed again.”

 

“I'm fine with that.” Steve grins. More than fine with that, but he doesn't say so.

 

“Gay.” Bucky says with a smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes. Steve's heart swells three sizes.

 

“Yeah.” He says softly, forcing himself to meet Bucky's eyes. Bucky searches his face, and he must find what he's looking for because he breaks into a toothy grin.

 

“Really?” He asks, just to confirm.

 

“Really.” Steve answers, moving forward to cup Bucky's jaw.

 

“I'd like that.” Bucky says, leaning up to kiss Steve.

**Author's Note:**

> Иди сюда means "Come here". 
> 
>  
> 
> Also, if you have any prompts for me feel free to add them in the comments or find me on [tumblr](http://wonderfullywandering-alone.tumblr.com/)


End file.
